If you haven’t heard, CES 2017 starts next week.
Yikes.
Robots of all shapes and sizes are once again set to take over Las Vegas from Jan. 5-8, and we’re here to help all you robotics enthusiasts plan your show.
Robots will be spread across Tech East, Tech West, and Tech South. And they’ll be sprinkled throughout various marketplaces, including Family & Technology, Health & Wellness, Kids & Technology and others, but the following areas are the robotics hotbeds you need to add to your schedule.
Robotics Marketplace
Location: Sands, Level 2, Halls A-D | Hours: Jan. 5: 10 AM-6 PM; Jan. 6: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 7: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 8: 9 AM-4 PM
By 2018, sales of service robots for personal and domestic use will reach 35M units according to the International Robotics Federation. Get a first look at the robots responsible for changing the way we live at CES Robotics Marketplace, presented by Robotics Trends.
Visitors will have the opportunity to mingle with nearly 30 exhibitors showcasing intelligent, autonomous machines capable of seeing, hearing and reacting to the environment in ways once thought impossible.
A few of the companies that will be on display include Ecovacs Robotics, Five Elements Robotics, Ozobot, Picobrew, Segway, seven dreamers laboratories and UBTECH Robotics.
Robotics Conference Track
On Friday, January 6 the CES Robotics Conference, also presented by Robotics Trends, will deliver three power-packed sessions that reveal how robots are transforming our lives. Conference sessions will include:
Delivery Robots Knocking at Your Door
January 6, 9-10 AM | Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4501
Learn how drones and autonomous mobile robots are transforming home delivery and emergency medical response. Ahti Heinla of Starship Technologies, Helen Greiner of CyPhy Works and Steve Cousins of Savioke will discuss developments, the need for continued testing and how to overcome regulatory and technical challenges.
Improving Human-Robot Interaction
January 6, 10:15-11:15 AM | Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4501
Steve Carlin of Softbank Robotics America and David Hanson and Andy Rifkin of Hanson Robotics will dive deep into what improvements are required for humans to more easily interact with robots. This session explores the technologies contributing to making robots more useful in our daily lives. Plus you’ll learn about Hanson Robotics’ Professor Einstein robot, which is debuting as CES.
Robots for the Real-World Showcase
January 6, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM | Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4501
Join us for demos of real-life robots that will make a major impact on the world. The demoing companies are: AImotive (self-driving cars), Franklin Robotics (weeding robot for gardens), Leka (robot for autism therapy) and NVIDIA (self-driving cars).
Robotics Startups in Eureka Park
Location: Sands, Level 1, Hall G | Hours: Jan. 5: 10 AM-6 PM; Jan. 6: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 7: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 8: 9 AM-4 PM
Eureka Park, the flagship startup destination at CES, is always one of our favorite areas to visit at the show. And after some early investigating, this year’s lineup is going to crush our Top 10 Robotics Startups at CES 2016 list.
There’s 578 startups exhibiting in Eureka Park this year, so make sure to block off a boatload of time to get through them all. Some of the robotics startups we highly recommend checking out at Eureka Park include Ewaybot, Foldimate, Fotokite, Hanson Robotics, Hease Robotics, robotTuner and Starship Technologies.
In the meantime, check out the Top 10 Robotics Startups at CES 2016.
Artificial Intelligence
OK, so there isn’t a dedicated area to artificial intelligence (AI) at CES, but good luck avoiding it. AI will be everywhere at CES 2017. Sure a majority of the robots you’ll see at CES feature some sort of AI or deep learning, but the technology has made its way to drones, healthcare products, IoT devices, self-driving cars, virtual assistants and many other technology sectors.
AI has been around for years, of course, but the world is starting to understand how valuable it can be. AI has also gotten smarter and cheaper, which certainly doesn’t hurt. So good luck hiding from AI in Vegas, it’ll be nearly impossible to do.
Self-Driving Car Technology Marketplace
Location: LVCC, North Plaza | Hours: Jan. 5: 10 AM-6 PM; Jan. 6: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 7: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 8: 9 AM-4 PM
More than 200,000 square feet (20 percent) of the entire show floor is reserved for car technology, and the self-driving exhibits have reportedly grown by 42 percent year-over-year. Some of the major self-driving brands that will be at CES include AImotive, Audi, Delphi, Honda, Hyundai, Infineon, NVIDIA and more.
Honda will be showcasing its NeuV autonomous car that uses artificial intelligence to feel human emotions. Ford is bringing the second-generation of its Fusion Hybrid autonomous development vehicle to Vegas. AImotive, which recently opened an office in the US and will speak at the CES Robotics Conference, will have its aiDrive Level 5 self-driving car on hand.
Delphi, which has outfitted an Audi SQ5 with self-driving technology, will also be talking up its partnership with Mobileye. You can also bet on a number of concept cars to be on hand.
The CTA is also hosting a Vehicle Technology conference track.
Drones Marketplace
Location: LVCC, South Hall 2; Sands, Level 2, Halls A-D LVCC, South Hall 2; Sands, Level 2, Halls A-D | Hours: Jan. 5: 10 AM-6 PM; Jan. 6: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 7: 9 AM-6 PM; Jan. 8: 9 AM-4 PM
Drones had a major presence at CES 2016 with a record 27 exhibitors, which was up from just 16 in 2015. That seems like small peanuts compared to the 41 drone exhibitors that will be spread over two locations at CES 2017.
DJI, Qualcomm, Yuneec and other major players will certainly be there, but good luck getting near Propel’s booth (LVCC, South Hall 2 #25423) as it’ll certainly have the Star Wars drones on site – if there’s any left, of course.
Autel Robotics, Cleo Robotics and Drone Volt are must-see companies. It’ll be interesting to see what Ehang has in store at CES 2017. The company stole the show in 2016 with its Ehang 184 Human-Carrying Drone that it claimed could hit 63 MPH, fly up to 11,500 feet and travel 23 minutes at a time carrying up to 220lb. Of course, the Ehang 184 has yet to conduct a single test flight in the US, and the company just laid off a ton of employees. We were skeptical of this product from the get-go, so let’s see what Ehang has to say about the 184 at CES 2017.
And don’t miss the first-ever demo in the US of Yi’s Erida tricopter, which it claims is the world’s fastest tricopter with a top speed of 75 MPH. The demos will take place at two locations during CES: at the company’s booth (#46324) at Tech West (The Sands) and at Pepcom’s Digital Experience! on January 4 from 7pm – 10:30pm at The Mirage Hotel.
Japan External Trade Organization
The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) will be showcasing new technologies at its booth in the Robotics Marketplace. Will we see a big emphasis on robotics, especially with Japan’s “New Robot Strategy,” which has goals like increasing the penetration of service robots to 30 percent by 2020?
Representatives from a robotics companies or government agencies at the international CES 2017 should remember that the gadgets being showcased are just only a piece of the puzzle. For this show and beyond, we should look at these innovations through a different filter: What is the government strategy behind them?
Robotics Business Review: Government Robotics Leadership Re-emerges at CES 2017?
CES 2017 reflects a new reality for the global robotics industry. Innovations are no longer isolated, and trade associations no longer select exhibitors and attendees solely because of their products.
Forward-thinking governments have developed and are now promoting policies to diversify national economies, boost global competitiveness through automation, and build new industries through technologies such as robotics and AI.
What robots are you most excited to see at CES 2017 in Las Vegas? Create a free account with Robotics Trends today and share your thoughts below.